No-fault evictions to end by May next year

• Countdown begins for the biggest increase to tenants' rights in a generation
• New protections will also end in-year rent rises, bidding wars and discrimination against families receiving benefits
• Clear timeline will support landlords and letting agents to prepare for these changes

Renting in England will be transformed with a raft of major changes coming into effect from 1 May 2026 for 11 million renters across the country.

Following the Renters' Rights Act - now passed in law - the timeline for implementing these new legal protections has been published today, giving time for landlords and letting agents to deliver these changes for their tenants.

In just under six months, private renters will no longer face being served with a Section 21 ‘no-fault' eviction notice – a practice leaving thousands vulnerable to homelessness every year. Tenants will be able to appeal excessive above-market rent increases that try to force them out and landlords can no longer unreasonably refuse tenants' requests to have a pet.

Meanwhile landlords will have stronger legally valid reasons to get their properties back when needed - whether that's to move in, sell up or deal with rent arrears or anti-social behaviour – delivering a fairer system for both sides. 

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said:

“We're calling time on no fault evictions and rogue landlords. Everyone should have peace of mind and the security of a roof over their head - the law we've just passed delivers that.

“We're now on a countdown of just months to that law coming in – so good landlords can get ready and bad landlords should clean up their act.”

Other changes which come into effect on 1 May will go further to tackle discrimination and financial exploitation, creating a more stable, fairer system for renters. It will become illegal for landlords and letting agents to:

• increase rent prices more than once a year
• ask for more than one month's rent payment in advance
• pit prospective tenants against one another through rental bidding wars
• discriminate against potential tenants, because they receive benefits or have children.

Alongside the implementation timeline setting out when the changes will take effect, the government has also released advance guidance to support landlords and letting agents.

Councils across England will be legally responsible for overseeing these new rights from 1 May 2026, backed by stronger enforcement powers. This includes tougher fines of up to £7,000 for breaches, rising up to £40,000 if they repeatedly or continue to breach the rules or commit a serious offence. Tenants or local authorities will also be able to seek rent repayment orders, forcing landlords to pay back rent for offences.

After the first phase of changes in May, the Renters' Rights Act will come in two further stages, with phase 2 (starting late 2026) introducing:

• The Private Landlord Ombudsman – a free, independent service helping tenants resolve complaints not dealt with by their landlord without going to court.
• A Private Rented Sector Database – a new central online place where all landlords must register themselves and the properties they rent out.  It will be rolled out in two stages and the need for landlords to sign up will be staggered by areas across England from late 2026.

More protections to improve conditions in private rented homes will come in phase 3, with public consultations informing their introduction.

This includes introducing a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time so tenants have safe, secure and warm housing. Extending Awaab's Law to the private rented sector will also be consulted on soon, to protect all tenants from dangerous homes.

Alongside the Renters' Rights Act, we will also see an improved Housing Health and Safety Rating System which will better assess health and safety risks in homes and making it more efficient and easier to understand – also supporting work to introduce the Decent Homes Standard to privately rented homes.

And there are also planned new standards to ensure privately rented properties are warmer and cheaper to run. The government has consulted on plans to require all domestic privately rented properties in England and Wales to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) of EPC C or equivalent by 2030 unless a valid exemption is in place. Further details will be set out in the government's response to the consultation.

Ben Twomey, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, said:

“This new law is a vital step towards re-balancing power between renters and landlords and should be celebrated.

“Our homes are the foundation of our lives, but for too long our broken renting system has left renters staring down the barrel of poverty and homelessness. For decades, Section 21 evictions have forced renters to live in fear of being turfed out of our homes, preventing us from raising valid concerns with our landlords. At last we know when this outdated and unfair law will be sent packing.

“This Renters' Rights Act is the result of years of tireless campaigning from the renter movement, alongside the dedication and strength of ordinary renters. With change on the horizon, I hope that renters across England can rest a little easier tonight in recognition of what we have achieved together.”

Tom Darling, Director of the Renters' Reform Coalition, which includes Shelter, Generation Rent, Citizens Advice and ACORN, said:

"Today's announcement that the end of Section 21 evictions will come into force on 1st May is huge news for England's 12 million renters. We have fought for this day for so long and to now have certainty about when the last ‘no-fault' eviction will be is crucial for our members, who will be trying to ensure as many renters as possible are aware of their new rights.”

“In addition, it will be important that the government quickly implement the whole Renters' Rights Act – including the Private Rented Sector Database and Awaab's Law – so that renters can feel the full benefits of this once-in-a-generation upgrading of their rights as soon as possible.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• The Renters' Rights Act Implementation Roadmap will be published on gov.uk on Friday 14 November 2025. Advance guidance for landlords and letting agents will also be published on gov.uk on Friday 14 November 2025.
• To ensure landlords comply with their new duties, councils will get:
  • get information from landlords, letting agents and banks or contractors.
  • enter business premises and sometimes homes to check compliance.
  • seize documents if they suspect wrongdoing.
  • with bigger fines for breaches, tougher consequences for repeat offenders and strengthened orders for landlords to pay back tenants (rent repayment orders).
• • New investigatory powers to:
  • Expanded powers to penalise offenders:

• Local housing authorities will receive a share of over £18 million additional funding this year to help them prepare for the changes, with advance guidance to be published on Friday 14 November 2025.
• The justice system will also be supported with extra funding to ensure the courts and tribunals have the resource and capacity required to handle these new reforms. This includes developing a new online digital service to simplify the possession process for landlords and tenants.

• The government will publish guidance for tenants before their new rights kick in on 1 May 2026.

• The government will soon respond to a consultation on extending the Decent Homes Standard to privately rent homes, confirming more details on the standard and an implementation timeline.
• Private landlord possession claims using the Section 21 process that are going through the courts on the commencement date will proceed as normal.
• After 1 May 2026, the courts will still be able to process Section 21 possessions that are ongoing, for example:
• • if a private landlord served their tenant with a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, they must begin court possession proceedings on or before 31 July 2026 when using the Section 21 court process.
  • after this date (31 July 2026), any Section 21 notice where the landlord has not begun proceedings will be invalid and landlords must use the new grounds for possession.

Consumer factsheet:

? 11 million renters just months away from historic new rights

Renting in England is about to change – and millions of tenants are set to benefit.

From 1 May 2026, new laws will kick in that give 11 million renters stronger rights, better protections and more security in their homes.

? What's changing?

• No more ‘no-fault' evictions – landlords in the private rented sector won't be able to evict tenants without a valid reason.
• Goodbye to fixed contracts – all tenancies in the private rented sector will roll on from month to month or week to week (depending on your arrangement) with no end date, giving renters more flexibility. Tenants can end them with two months' notice as well.
• Fairer rent rules – landlords can only raise rent once a year, and renters can challenge unfair hikes.
• No more bidding wars – landlords must stick to no more than the advertised rent price.
• One month's rent upfront, max – landlords can't ask for more.
• No discrimination – it'll be illegal to refuse tenants just because they receive benefits or have kids.
• Pets welcome – renters can now ask to live with a pet and landlords must consider it fairly.

?️ What about landlords?

Landlords will still be able to get their property back for clear reasons – like selling up, moving in, or dealing with rent arrears or anti-social behaviour.

The changes aim to strike a fair balance between renters and landlords, making the system more stable, safer and easier to understand.

? What's coming next?

From late 2026, more improvements will roll out:

? A Private Rented Sector Database

• This is a register of all landlords and rental properties in England, so you can check who you're renting from. The new online database will be rolled out gradually by area from late 2026, showing who is renting out homes across England. You'll be able to check your landlord and see if they're properly registered once it is live in the area you live.

?️ A free complaints service

• The Private Landlord Ombudsman will be launched to help renters sort complaints against landlords quickly and fairly - without needing to go to court. It will create an independent person to resolve your complaints against your landlord quickly and fairly.

? Progressing future plans - warmer and safer homes

The government is also continuing work to improve living conditions in privately rented homes. Consultations will inform their timelines.

New rules in the future will raise the standard of rented homes - tackling damp, mould and dangerous conditions. Landlords will need to fix serious hazards faster and make homes more energy efficient, helping tenants stay warm and cut bills.

This is what's coming:

? Quick landlord action to fix hazards

The government is looking to extend Awaab's Law to private rentals - forcing landlords to act fast when homes are unsafe. A consultation on how best to do this will be launched soon, so private tenants can benefit from protections like those already supporting social housing tenants.

? Greener homes by 2030

By 2030, we plan to require that all privately rented homes must meet new energy efficiency standards (EPC rating C or better), unless exempt. That means better insulation, lower bills and greener living.

? A new Decent Homes Standard for private rentals

For the first time, the government will introduce a Decent Homes Standard for privately rented homes - a clear set of rules to make sure every rented property is safe, warm and in good repair.

This new standard will help raise the bar across the board, giving renters confidence that their home meets basic safety and quality rules - and giving councils more power to crack down on landlords who don't meet them.

How will I know how to exercise my new rights next year?

First of all, landlords will be responsible for sticking to these new rules – and your local councils will have stronger powers to act if your landlord breaks them. 

To help you understand your new rights better, the government will publish guidance for tenants before the changes kick in on 1 May 2026.